Cable sheath cutting and stripping tool



y 1944- E. P. LANSING 2,347,956

v CABLE SHEATH CUTTING AND STRIPPING TOOL Filed Fb. 6, 1943 2/EdrZPZa/nainy INVENTOR av %;@2m'%.

ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1944 UNITED PATENT FFICE CA'BLE SHEATHCUTTING'AND STRIPPING Earl P. Lansing, New Orleans, La.

Application February 6, 1943, Serial No. 475,057

4 Claims.

trical cables of any kind, in that it includes knife members forseveringwhe sheathing circumferentiallyabout the cable, as well aslongitudinally thereof, so that the sheathing between thecircumferential or transverse cuts can be readily removed.

A further object is to provide a sheath stripping tool that includesadjustable knife members, so that the tool is capable of performing itsintended function on cables of various diameters.

Another object is to provide a tool of the character set forth, that issimple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extreme y emcientin operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying. drawingand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my tool, with parts broken away and insection and illustrates the tool applied to two cables of difierentdiameters.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tool in use.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the knife member for cutting thesheathing circumferentially or radially of the cable.

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the lateral curvature of theblades of the tool Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be notedthat my tool includes-a pair of elongated duced end portions 3 and 4 arepreferably fiat as shown, for disposal in engagement .with each other,and the reduced end portions 4 provide handles for the device, to bringabout said movement. The side and outer faces of the end portions orhandles 4 are preferably rounded to pro vide a convenient grippingsurface, as will be apparent.

The enlarged central portions 8 and 9 are each provided with a pair ofarcuate recesses in the confronting faces thereof, and the recesses ofthe member I are indicated by the reference numerals l0 and H, while therecesses of the member 2 are indicated by the numerals l2 and i3, andthe recesses are arranged along the length of said members for therecess ill to register with the' recess I 2 and the recess H withtherecess I3.

, best shown in Figure 1.

companion members I and 2 that have reduced end portions 3 and 4. Theportion 3 of the mem-- ber l terminates at its outer end into spacedapertured ears 5, while the portion 3 of the other member is formedcentrally at its outer end, with an ear 6 disposed between the ears 5and pivotally, connected thereto by a pin 1 for swinging movement of themembers toward and away from each other, as will be apparent uponinspection of Figure 1. The confronting faces of the re- The recessesprovide what may be termed jaws, but in any event they are for thepurpose of receiving the cables therein, as best shown in Figure 1, andthe enlarged central portion 8 in the form shown, is provided with threesquare cornered bores, indicated respectively by the and the latterbores are disposed at an angle to each other, or in other words inconverging relation from their outer to their inner ends, as

The portion 9 is likewise provided with a square cornered bore I1extending from its outer face and opening into the recess l3, midway itsends.

Fitting and mounted for slidable adjustment in the bore I 4 is the shankl8 of a knife member that includes a blade l9 which is beveled to aconvexed cutting edge 20 directed toward the handles and to a concavedcutting edge 20' opposing the edge 20, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and5. However, the edge opposing the convexed cutting edge 20 may bestraight instead of concaved. In any event the blade extends into therecess 10- for cutting the sheathing circumferentially or radially ofthe cable, upon rotation of;

the tool in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, itdepending upon the type of cable upon which the tool is to be used. The

blade I9 is preferably also curved laterally, as best shown in Figure 3,so that the. cut through the'sheathing will be made at an inclined angletending into the recess l3, for cooperationwith the blades 22 forcutting or slitting the sheathing longitudinally, when the tool is drawnalong the length of the cable, as will be apparent upon inspection oiFigure 4. The blades 22 and 24 are each likewise beveled to provide aconvexed cutting edge and a concaved cutting edge opposite to theconvexed edge, and these blades may also be curved laterally, as shownat 22' and 24 of Figure 6, to undercut the sheathing.

The knife members are held in adjusted positions by set screws 25 thatare threaded through one of the sides of the members I and 2 forengagement with the shanks, with the result it will be seen that-theknife members can be adjusted 1 to bring about cutting of the sheathingat any desired depth on cables of various diameters.

In order to center small cables relative to the recess I 3, to bringabout straight longitudinal slits in the sheathing thereof, I provide apair of beaded studs 26 that are mounted for slidable movement in bores21 disposed upon opposite sides of the bore I1, and which have enlargedouter end portions providing shoulders for receiving the heads 28 tolimit inward movement of the studs. Thestuds are held in their innermostposition for receiving the cable between the same, as indicated indotted lines in Figure l, by leaf springs 29 that have one of their endsfixed to the outer face of the member-2 and their opposite end portionsare bent at an angle to the remaining portions, with the bent portions30 extending into the bores 21 and engaged with the heads. By thatconstruction, it will be seen that a cable of a diameter that will fitbetween the studs 26 will be held thereby centrally of the recess I3 forthe purpose set forth, but cables of a larger diameter will engage theinner ends of the studs and move .the same outwardly against the actionof the springs 29, for the blade 24 to penetrate the sheathing thereof,as will be apparent.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawing, it is believedthat the use of my tool will be obvious, but it might bementioned thatwhen it is desired to remove the sheeting from a portion of a cable,such as indicated by one of their ends, handles provided by the oppositeend portions of said members, said members having recessed flatconfronting. faces for disposal in engagement with each other and therecesses providing cable receiving jaws, cutting means adjustablymounted'relative. to the jaws for severing the cable sheathing, meansfor securing the cutting means in adjusted positions, and means forcentering a cable relative to one of the recesses.

2. In a tool for use in cutting and stripping sheathing from electriccables, a pair of elongated companion members pivoted together at one oftheir ends, handles provided by the opposite end portions of saidmembers, said members having recessed fiat confronting faces fordisposal in engagement with each other and the recesses providing cablereceiving jaws, cuttingsheathing from electric cables, a pair ofelongated companion members pivoted together at one of their ends,handles provided at the opposite end portions of said members, saidmembers having recessed fiat confronting faces for disposal inengagement with each other, the re- "cesses being of arcuat formationand disposed the letter A, the tool is applied to the cable for disposalof the latter into the recess i2. The members i and 2 are then movedtoward each other for the blade l9 to penetrate the sheathing,

and at the same time the tool is rotated about the cable to complete oneradial cut. The second radial cut is made in the same manner. The toolis then shifted for disposal of the cable in the recess it, for theblades 22 and 24 to cut or slit the sheathing longitudinally between theradial cuts. The cut layer or layers of sheathing can then be readilyremoved in three strips when out by the tool shown, due to the fact thatit includes three longitudinal cutting blades 22 and 25, but a toolincluding any number of longitudinal cutting blades may be provided, andin the event the tool includes only two of such blades. they will bedisposed diametrically opposite each other.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

' 1. In a tool for use in cutting and stripping sheathing from electriccables, a pair of elongated companion members pivoted together at inregistration with each other to provide cable receiving jaws, one ofsaid members having a squ'arecornered bore opening into its recess, aknife member including a shank fitting and mounted for slidableadjustment in said bore, a blade formed on the shank and extending intothe last mentioned recess, said blade having opposed cutting edges, oneedge being convexed and registration with each other to provide cablerecei ng jaws, one of said members having a pair I of s uare corneredbores extending from the outer face thereof in converging relation andopening into its recess, the other member having a square cornered boreextending from the outer face thereof and opening into its recess, knifemembers including shanks fitting and mounted for slidable movement inthe bores, blades formed on the shanks and extending into the recesses,the blades each having opposed cutting edges, means for securing theknife members in adjusted positions and engageable with th" shanksthereof, and spring pressed parallel arranged headed studs slidablymounted through the last mentioned member for disposal in the recessthereof and said studs adapted to receive a cable between the same tocenter the cable relative to the recesses.'

' EARL P. LANSING.

